


Bestial

by AlphaRedLeader



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Ex-Superhero Edd, M/M, Monster Tom, Multi, Vampire Matt, Werewolf AU, Werewolf Tord, arc one is underway, no point in keeping anything from u all i don't wanna be a sneak bitch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-01 16:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10925394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaRedLeader/pseuds/AlphaRedLeader
Summary: Tord got into an accident, and now there's something really wrong.Tom couldn't be less concerned.Everyone else is just along for the ride.





	1. Homecoming

Tord stood in front of the door, almost afraid. He'd been standing there for at least five minutes, not yet willing to knock. Finally he worked up the courage, but he didn't have to.

The door opened seconds after he closed his hand into a fist to knock on the hardwood. The sudden swing of the door caused Tord to step back almost nervously, looking away.

"What do _you_ want?" Tom snapped. Tord bared his teeth instinctively, silvery eyes narrowed.

"Thanks for the warm welcome, jackass." he shot back. "Can I come in?"

Tom grumbled something inaudible, but stepped aside anyway. Tord crossed the threshold, fidgeting with his hands. He looked around, then turned to face Tom.

"Where is everyone?" he asked. Tom shrugged; at the moment, he was alone in the house, save for Tord of course. Making his way to the couch, he sat down.

"Edd's getting groceries, Matt's...who knows. Why are you even here?" the eyeless man said, arching a brow suspiciously. "You've been gone for who cares _how_ long, and then you just _show up_?"

Tord leaned against the back of the couch, frowning. He was careful to cover his right wrist. No reason to disclose that information to Tom just yet. The man wanted to talk to Edd first, anyway.

"Can't I pay a visit to my friends?" he hissed. Tom curled his lip.

"Not your friend." he breathed. Tord snorted.

"I didn't say _you_."

Tom couldn't help the small smile that worked its way onto his face. Even after so long, they could fall into a familiar, pseudo-aggressive banter. "Really, though. Why _are_ you here?"

Tord shifted uncomfortably, swallowing thickly. "I wasn't sure where else to go - actually, you...being _you_ might be able to help." He slowly reached to shift the sleeve of his right arm up. Tom sat forward a little, confused. He was about to say something when he realized what he was looking at.

Tord's right wrist was scarred, but not in the way he'd _expected_ \- there was a distinct line of puncture wounds, that looked disturbingly like _teeth marks_. His eyes widened.

"Holy _shit_." he said, reaching out to take Tord's wrist in his hand and better examine it. "What did this?"

The Norwegian man looked away, perhaps a little ashamed. "Not sure. Some sort of big dog, or a wolf maybe? I don't remember exactly what I saw."

Tom paled a little, but quickly covered up his fear. "Damn. Does it hurt?" He gave Tord's wrist a small squeeze, running his thumb over the bite.

Tord flinched, _growling_ deep in his throat. "Yes, it does! Stop that." He snarled, wrenching his wrist out of Tom's grip. The other man shrugged, sitting back on the couch.

"Then its infected." he said nonchalantly. " _You're_ infected." His words came out so casually, despite their weight. Clearly he knew something Tord didn't, and that alone was a scary thought. Tord stepped away from the couch a little, nervous.

"What are you talking about," he asked, tilting his head a little. "What do you mean, _infected_?"

Tom shrugged, grabbing the remote and flipping through television channels. "Think about it, Tord, we both know you're not stupid. What bit you?"

The Norwegian man sat down on the back of the couch, staring absently at his wrist. He had an idea, now. "Oh."

Tom glanced over. "Edd and Matt are home. Cover that up, and when you start to turn, get out of this house or I'll skin you myself."

He went back to watching television, and Tord felt a chill run down his spine. He knew Tom was just as aggressive as he, but the nonchalant, relaxed tone of voice gave him pause.

Maybe Tord had made a mistake coming here.


	2. Poison in My Bloodstream

“Tord?” Edd pushed his way through the door unaided, carrying about ten bags of groceries between both arms. Matt came through seconds later, carrying two. If Tord wasn’t nervous as all hell about what Tom had told him, he might’ve laughed at Edd’s apparent insistence on making only one trip with all the groceries.

The Norwegian waved a little, careful to use his unbitten arm. “Edd! Long time no see!” he greeted, feigning cheerfulness. He could feel Tom’s gaze on his back, as if it burned through his clothes, calmly judgemental. Putting his apprehension aside, he felt himself being tracked as he moved across the room to take some bags from Edd, who offered them up after a moment of silent persuasion.

“What are you doing here?” Edd went on, and Tord could  _ feel _ Tom’s sly smile on his back.  _ Go ahead _ , he seemed to be saying.  _ Tell him, I dare you.  _ Tord shrugged, making his way to the kitchen with Edd and Matt to set the groceries down. 

He was acutely aware of both sets of eyes bearing down on him. “I…” his voice squeaked a little, nervous. “I came to visit you! It’s been so long, I - I thought we could catch up.”

Matt and Edd both seemed to perk up at this, both of them genuinely pleased. He moved around the kitchen to help put away groceries.

Matt smiled at Tord. “We’re glad you’re back!” he said, smiling fondly. Edd nodded his agreement, picking up something that Tord had put in the wrong place and fixing it. 

“Hey, what’s that on your arm?” He asked, pointing. Tord glanced down; his wrist had been slightly exposed as he’d reached into one of the bags, and he very quickly pulled his sleeve down.

“Nothing!” he yelped, taking a second to recollect himself. He could hear Tom’s strangled snickering from the living room, and his face burned with embarrassment. “Its nothing, don’t worry about it.” Waving his hands a bit, he shrugged and made his way out of the kitchen. 

When he was gone, Matt and Edd exchanged concerned glances. 

“Is he okay?” Matt asked, getting himself a glass of milk. He passed Edd a can of Cola, and leaned against the counter. 

The brunet took the can gratefully. “I have no clue,” he said, opening the can to take a sip. “I wonder where he’s been.”

Matt let his gaze trail to the doorway, biting his lip. “There was something on his arm…” he started, and Edd looked uneasily at the ginger man. 

“I don’t think he wants to talk about it. Do  _ you  _ think he’s okay?” he asked, setting his cola can down. Matt shrugged, which only seemed to deepen Edd’s worry. “I’ll...try to talk to him about it later, see if-”

“Tom,  _ don’t _ !”

Edd cut off at the sound of Tord’s voice, followed by a loud crash - the slamming of the front door. He exchanged a half-second glance with Matt before both were scooting to the kitchen doorway, struggling for a moment to get through at the same time. 

When they finally  _ succeeded _ at getting through, they were met with one hell of a sight. The bookshelf in the living room had been knocked over, and the door was slightly ajar - it had been slammed shut with such force that the upper hinge had been rattled out of the wall. Tord was nowhere to be seen until Matt turned the corner around the couch and gasped, stumbling back. 

The bookshelf had fallen across Tord’s lower back, pinning his legs down. There were books and a few picture frames scattered around him; he didn’t meet Matt’s gaze as the ginger knelt down to push a few books off of him - the Norwegian appeared too occupied with holding his arm to notice or care. 

Edd moved around, chewing at his lip in worry, to try and get the bookshelf off of Tord. Tom was nowhere to be seen, but it was clear  _ he _ had been the cause of the damage. 

For a few moments Edd struggled to get the shelf up, but as he dug his heels into the ground a surge of energy spike through his blood (Edd’s determined eyes flashed the brightest green, which left Matt staring as he tried to pull Tord free) and the shelf gave in. He lifted it with ease, and Matt pulled Tord out. 

The Norwegian coughed a little, curling in on himself - curling around his arm, keeping his sleeve pulled tight over his bitten wrist. Matt reached for the wound, thinking he was hurt. 

He yelped in fear and stumbled back as Tord suddenly twisted, baring his teeth in a feral growl. Although, it wasn’t the action alone that caused Matt to crawl back in terror - it was the look on Tord’s face, and the gleam in his golden eyes. 

Gold - weren’t Tord’s eyes  _ silver _ ? Matt opened his mouth to say something when Tord started to stand up, and the ginger pushed himself back a few more inches. Edd put a hand on the Norwegian’s shoulder, having pushed the bookshelf back into place unaided.

"What happened?" Edd asked, watching Tord carefully. He glanced over at Matt, who was starting to stand up slowly. The ginger looked suspicious at best, even though Tord seemed to have calmed down at least a little. 

"Tom," Tord spat, looking towards the ruined door. "He attacked me." When he glanced back at Matt, the frightened man had to do a double take. Maybe he'd been seeing things, thinking that Tord's eyes were gold, as they appeared silver now just moments later. Matt opened his mouth to speak, clearly concerned. 

"Do you know where he is now?" He asked anxiously, inching towards the door. Tord shook his head, and Matt sighed, looking at Edd. "I'll go...look for him I guess." 

Edd nodded his agreement; his hand never left Tord's shoulder until Matt was past him and well out the door. Only  _ then _ did the brunet round on his friend.

"Are you lying?" He asked, eyes dark. Tord gaped at him, clearly guilty, and ducked his head ever so slightly out of some unspoken instinct. Edd bit his lip, reaching to tilt Tord's chin up. "Tord.  _ Are you lying to me? _ "

A moment passed between them in silence before Tord slowly shook his head, unable to meet Edd's gaze. This only seemed to agitate the taller man more, and he reached for Tord's wrist. The Norwegian snapped his hand back, but didn't growl. 

"Don't touch me, Edd." He warned bitterly. "Please." 

Edd sighed. He couldn't stay mad at Tord even if he wanted to, he looked far too guilty. Even if he was worried, he wasn't about to press the matter. Honestly, Edd realized quickly that he shouldn't even be surprised - Tord and Tom could  _ never _ last a day alone together, and it appeared that Tord's absence hadn't changed a thing between the two. 

Tord gazed at Edd. He felt bad for what had happened, for ruining the living room less than an hour after his arrival and for snapping at Matt and driving Tom away. He wanted to ask what it was that he’d seen on Edd’s face when he lifted the bookshelf, but he didn’t. 

His blood boiled with guilt. Already this... _ infection _ was causing trouble. He’d definitely made a mistake coming here. All he could do now was try to make himself look less suspect than he already had, and that alone would be difficult. He realized his eyes were still on Edd, who was waiting patiently for him to say something. 

“Edd I…” he had to do something, had to think of something quick - “Edd, we need to talk. Alone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll edit this sucker later just - t a k e i t already.


	3. Mr Hide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tord and Edd have a talk. Matt finds Tom. Things get ugly.

Ten minutes and a poor explanation later, Edd contemplated for a moment getting a drink  _ stronger _ than cola. He sat down on his bed, face in his hands, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. 

“You’re... _ what _ ?” he looked up from his hands long enough to capture Tord in a distinctly  _ dissatisfied _ glare. “You came back  _ just _ because you’re in  _ trouble? _ ” He stood up and the step that he took forward sounded much louder to the Norwegian before him than it probably should have. “You disappear for  _ three fucking years _ and come back just to tell me you’re in trouble and need  _ help _ ? What happened to visiting your friends like you  _ fucking _ promised?!”

Tord felt a wave of guilt crash over him in such a way that it made him feel like he might drown in it. His mouth opened to come up with another admittedly very poor excuse, but he snapped it shut when he realized that Edd’s eyes had flashed a bright green. 

“What the  _ hell _ …?” he mused aloud, and that only seemed to infuriate the brunet before him. 

“Tord! Are you even  _ listening _ to me?” Now that caught the Norwegian’s attention. He straightened up, fiddling with his sleeve. His silvery gaze was low, trained on Edd’s shoes. He bit his lip hard, enough to leave a mark when he finally looked up. 

“I’m listening,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, I should have come back, I shouldn’t have lied.” Edd opened his mouth to speak and Tord cut him off. “Let me talk, Edd.” The brunet fell silent, sat back down on the bed, and waited. 

“I came back because I have nothing left and no one else who would understand. I need your help, I’ll be better this time, I swear, I just...give me another chance.” Tord dropped his hands to his sides, shoulders sagging, looking defeated.

Edd stared at Tord for a very long time, long enough to take in the apology. Maybe not long enough to make a smart decision, but he shook his head and relented. “One more chance.” His voice was very quiet when he spoke, but those three words seemed to make all the difference because Tord let out a sigh of relief and rubbed the bridge of his nose between two fingers. 

He was about to get a ‘thank you’ out when the green-clad man before him suddenly stood up and trapped him in a bone-crushing hug. Tord wheezed, but there was no hesitation as he wrapped his arms tight around Edd’s neck and buried his face into the embrace. Rarely did the standoffish man show affection like this, but no one was watching and it didn’t really matter; what  _ did _ matter was he was home, and Edd had in some part forgiven him. 

Forgiven him for a lie, yes...but this would have to be enough. When they finally parted, Tord  _ immediately _ looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. He spared a sheepish smile, one that Edd returned without hesitation. 

“What kind of trouble did you even get yourself into?” he asked curiously, and Tord’s smile twitched but he maintained it, refusing to frown. 

“Oh, you know,” he chuckled. “The usual.” Waving off the response, he turned towards the door and got the distinct feeling that Edd was watching him. 

_ No,  _ he reminded himself.  _ He doesn’t know. And he never will, if I have anything to say about it. _ Looking back, the Norwegian man tilted his head. 

“Hey Edd,” he said nonchalantly, watching his friend approach to follow him out of the bedroom. “What was that...thing you did earlier? Lifting the bookshelf. Have you always been this strong, and you’ve just been hiding it from me?”

Edd hesitated minutely, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reaction. Then he laughed. “We all have our secrets, Tord.”

The avoidant nature of the response left Tord with more questions than answers, but he supposed that now they were even. Even so, something about the way Edd’s eyes gleamed gave him pause, and made the hair on his neck rise nervously.   
  
Tord had known Edd all his life; he’d known that his friend wasn’t exactly the weakest, but to lift that bookshelf without so much as a groan? Tord glanced towards the door for just a split second, feeling as if he really was missing something. The man shifted from foot to foot, and then opened his mouth to say something more. 

The coughing fit that wracked his body shook him violently, and when it didn’t cease he gripped the edge of the bed to stablize himself, coughing into the crook of his elbow. When Tord finally got it to stop, Edd was leaning over him.

The Norwegian spotted blood on the inside of his hoodie, and raised his hand to his mouth. One of his teeth was loose, and pulled out with ease. After a few seconds his jaw ached, and more coughing and blood occupied his mouth. 

“Tord!” Edd yelped, guiding his friend towards the bathroom. “Was that blood? Are you okay?”

As they reached the bathroom, Tord covered his mouth with a hand and trying to push Edd back. He clawed at the doorframe of the bathroom. Edd pried the tooth from his hand, holding back a choked yell. 

“Just let me help, come on-” The door slammed in Edd’s face, leaving him staring. The tooth in his hand looked as if it had come out cleanly. The longer he watched the door, hearing the lock click, the more uneasy he felt.  _ What could possibly be going on in there…? _

* * *

 

Tord gripped the sink with both hands, coughing and watching red blood spatter across the white porcelain. He cursed under his breath between violent hacking; another of his teeth fell from his mouth, hitting the bottom of the sink with a soft  _ clink! _ He felt small tears brimming in his eyes, pain blooming in his jaw. 

He snapped his head up to look in the mirror and watched a sharp tooth slowly force its way out of his jaw. Craning his neck back down he spat blood into the drain, testing the new tooth with his tongue. A low growl erupted from his throat when he heard Edd’s voice on the other side of the door. 

“Tord..? Let me in.” the other man tried weakly, but Tord only shook his head as if his friend could see it. Edd knocked again and Tord backed away from the door, stumbling and tripping over the edge of the bathtub. 

“Er- d-don’t come in!” he yelped, collapsing onto his ass. Tord’s head knocked against the wall, making his vision blur slightly and not helping the pain in his head in the absolute slightest. He reached up to cover his ears at the same time that he noticed his scalp crawling. His right ear twitched - what? - and he dragged himself to his feet. 

“Tord,” Edd warned. “I’m coming in whether you like it or not!”

There was a brief moment where nothing happened, before the door creaked and the hinges gave way; Edd was pulling the door  _ right off its hinges. _ Tord bristled, eyes flashing gold. Before Edd could say anything or approach, Tord snarled and knocked the shower curtain down, covering himself. 

He barreled past Edd, who was significantly harder to knock over than Tord remembered or cared to recall, and towards the door. 

His brunette friend stood dumbfounded, staring at the bathroom. He didn’t chase Tord. He knelt down. Picking up a clump of thin caramel hair, he turned it over in his palm. It was coarse, like...fur?

* * *

 

Matt really never felt safe around these woods. But, he knew Tom was in there - judging by the rapidly changing footprints covered partially by swept-over leaves. His friend was doing a poor job of covering his tracks, which was dangerous. Matt dragged a stick behind him, ruining every print and kicking leaves over them. 

After a few minutes of walking the tracks stopped being half-heartedly disguised, and instead were swept through by the thick trail of Tom’s sweeping tail. Matt stopped at the point the tracks disappeared into thick, thorny brush. Tom wouldn’t have gone far into that if he could help it. 

“Tom, it’s me!” he called quietly, looking around. Matt stilled his movements, listening intently; the soft rustle of leaves came from all around him, the wind picking up. He turned his head to the left. “Come out of there, it’s okay.”

He could feel Tom watching him. Steeling himself, he forced his gaze down to his shoes and the dirt beneath him. 

Slow, thundering steps approached him; Matt closed his eyes, squeezing his hands into fists as the underbrush crackled around him. A low groan rolled like thunder, making his heart jump. When he looked up, he found himself staring into the open maw of a great black-ish grey monster. 

Slowly Matt raised his hand, letting the beast sniff him. He laid his palm on the creature’s nose, and smiled when his tail wagged. “It’s okay now, Tom, it’s fine. Wanna tell me what happened?”

The monster’s black gaze was unwavering for a moment, and then he lowered himself to the ground, heaving out a long breath at the same time that his broad shoulders sagged. Matt kept his gaze off of Tom respectfully as he shifted back, shrugging off his overcoat and then his hoodie to offer the purple clothing over. He pulled his jacket back on once Tom was covered. 

“That wasn’t a regular fight with Tord,” Matt said firmly, and Tom nodded. 

“Nope,” he said, fumbling with the sleeves of Matt’s hoodie. “Something’s wrong. Where’s Edd..?”

Matt arched a brow. “What do you mean, something’s wrong?” He chewed his lip. “Edd stayed back at the house with Tord.”

Tom’s black eyes grew wide, his jaw set. “We have to go.” He grabbed Matt’s hand with blackened fingers, already indicating that the adrenaline was returning. 

Matt pried Tom’s fingers off of him. “What’s wrong,” he demanded. “What’s happening?”

Tom bristled at Matt, baring large teeth in a guttural snarl. “Edd is in danger the longer he stays there alone with Tord.” He admitted harshly, snorting a breath of air and smoke from his nose. “His scent is changed, don’t you know?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first arc of this story has been plotted, so I'm writing chapters again! I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> This chapter's title is a reference to The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, if you forgot that, and a reference to our dumb main boys hiding things from each other.


	4. Got a Secret (Can You Keep It?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They had their differences, but regardless of their petty rivalry it was quite obvious that Tord trusted Tom to some degree.

Tom and Matt arrived a minute too late. The latter of the two made a beeline for Edd, all but dragging Tom behind him - who was using Matt’s over-large hoodie to cover his blackened skin. 

“Edd!” Matt cried, utterly pleased to see that his green-clad friend was safe, if looking a bit distracted. Before another word could leave the tall ginger’s mouth, Tom shoved himself between them. 

“Where’s Tord.” he demanded sharply, pulling down his hood. Edd swallowed hard, taking in the sight of his friend’s black-spotted face. “Edd, focus! Where is he?” 

Matt pulled Tom back, getting him out of Edd’s face. He barely flinched as his friend snarled at him, only shooting him an uncomfortable glare in the half-second that he forced Tom to look him in the eye. Then he turned his attention back to Edd, who was shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket and looking concerned. 

“He left,” Edd began. “Ran out the door. What’s going on?” Edd’s brown eyes moved from Tom’s face, to Matt’s, then back again. An uncomfortable silence fell over the three, which Edd broke after a long moment. “Why would he come back just to run off again…?” 

Tom felt his stomach twist uncomfortably, and he balled his clawed hands into fists. Edd sounded so heartbroken by the notion, and it only served to fuel his anger at the infected  _ asshole _ Edd called a friend. He turned towards the door, frowning. Matt tightened his grip on Tom’s shoulder. 

“Don’t even think about it.” he whispered. “We have to protect Edd, right? That’s why we came back.” Matt chewed his lip as Edd interjected. 

“Protect me from what?” he asked quietly. There was suspicion on his face, and by the way he tilted his head slightly, it was clear there was a disconnect. Tom snorted smoke from his nose, waving it away from his face. 

“Nothing, Edd. Look, someone has to go after him and get answers, right? I’ll go.” he said, arching a brow. This was one of those rare times where he was glad that his pitch black eyes betrayed very little emotion. He watched Edd, as the brunet’s shoulders squared slightly. 

“You just got back.” he said firmly. “Tell me what’s going on.” Both Edd and Matt looked to Tom expectantly, and the monster of a man realized that he was standing on a very delicate precipice. 

On one hand he could tell the truth, let Tord run off, and be done with it. But in doing that, he risked destroying not only Edd’s friendship with Tord (something that he knew his best friend valued very greatly, even in the Norwegian’s extremely long absence) but also very likely his rival’s life. Tempting as it was, Tord had come to him directly for help, which meant...well, something, to say the least. 

They had their differences, but regardless of their petty rivalry it was quite obvious that Tord trusted Tom to some degree. 

The black-eyed man shook his head. “Matt will fill you in on what I know. I’m going to get Tord.” Then he turned towards the door, shrugging his friend’s hand off his shoulder. “Someone has to, and I’m the only one who can track him at this point.”

Edd and Matt exchanged a look. The former of the two closed his eyes, curling his lip and shaking his head.

“Fine. Go.” he huffed, taking the few steps back to sit on the edge of his bed. “But I expect a full explanation when you get back.”

Tom opened his mouth to say something, but Edd’s tone shut him up even as Matt moved away from him to sit beside their friend, clearly looking disappointed. Sighing and realizing he was defeated, Tom simply nodded and turned, pulling up Matt’s hood to cover his face and heading towards the door. 

Tord had a  _ lot _ of explaining to do.

* * *

His hands scraped on the ground as he stumbled; his body ached and pulled and felt so terribly wrong, but no matter how much he willed it to stop it simply wouldn’t. He crashed through the underbrush, gripping a tree to stabilize himself and digging his fingers into the bark, breathing hard as his nails popped off and sharp claws pushed through in their place.

A broken sob threatened to give him away, should anyone be watching - and he swore he could feel eyes on his back, as his skin  _ itched _ like mad - but he choked it back, his free hand covering his face. 

He could  _ hear _ the cracking of his skull, and the pain drove him closer to the ground, out of sight, whimpering helplessly as the pain alone silenced his crying into nothing more than shallow breaths and soundless sobs.

* * *

 

Tord, as it turned out, had a very distinctive scent. That was good, because he didn’t walk nearly as heavily as Tom did, so he left very few footprints to follow. 

For once Tom was exceedingly glad that his sense of smell was superior to a human’s. Sure, being a monster had its drawbacks, but - his train of thought was escaping him and he forced himself to focus. 

Just in time, as he’d followed Tord’s pen-ink-and-woodsmoke scent to a tree, causing the black-eyed man to stop in his tracks. He raised a hand and slowly ran his fingertips down a deep gash in the bark, starting shallow and deepening as it went down. His skin brushed against something solid and white, and he recoiled, narrowing his eyes. 

Was that a... _ nail? _ He sank his teeth into his lip and reached up, prying it out of the bark and curling his upper lip as the coppery smell of blood reached his nose. He turned the nail over in his palm; it was ragged on one end and bloody on the other, and smelled of that same inky, smoky scent. 

Tom huffed, dropping the nail. Where had Tord gone? The man reached for his phone, checking the time. It wasn’t another few hours until sunset, this shouldn’t be happening so soon! He wrinkled his nose. Nothing made sense anymore, why bother trying to rationalize?

Slowly Tom made a small circle around the base of the tree. There was blood here, smeared on the roots, but it wasn’t exactly obvious where Tord would have gone from here. Then it dawned on him, and he lowered himself closer to the ground.  
  
There was a clump of caramel-colored fur snagged in the thorny brush. Tom inhaled sharply, pushing the leaves aside. Indented into the blood-soaked ground was a wide print, canine in nature. 

_ Oh great. _ Tom thought, smoke curling from the corner of his mouth.  _ Finding a wolf in these woods? Like a needle in a haystack.  _ He peeled off Matt’s sweatshirt, feeling a bit guilty as he shoved it beneath the bushes. It would be easier to cover more ground if he were fully shifted. 

Pressing his palms to the ground, Tom closed his eyes. This was never an easy process, especially on command. At the same time that he felt a familiar twist in his organs and a burning heat in his throat, a low growl sounded to his left. 

“Oh for fu-” he gritted his teeth as pain coursed up his spine, turning his words into a guttural snarl in response to the growl. Though his vision was growing hazy, he could see the broad-shouldered outline of the offender; gleaming sulphur-yellow eyes and a dark brown snout coming into view as the wolf prowled forward. Tom lunged, muscles aching as his hands mutated rapidly into massive clawed paws, but stumbled and met empty air. His growing tail lashed as he forced himself up onto all fours; his body was slow to bulk up, but his horns were growing in fast, so he wasn’t totally defenseless. 

Unfortunately, he was so preoccupied by his transformation - he groaned as his eye sockets pushed together with an uncomfortably loud cracking sound - and the dark wolf now circling towards his right side that he didn’t expect to be jumped upon from behind.  Apparently the chocolate-colored wolf had a friend, whose claws scrabbled against Tom’s broadening black shoulders for purchase, teeth buried in his thick scruff. Tom pitched himself to the side, knocking himself off balance and shoving over a small tree. The action served to throw off his second attacker, and he got to his feet. 

Now he was comfortably on all fours and his body had caught up to itself. The burning in his throat heightened, but he knew setting fire to this forest would only cause trouble and he dampened it, turning around and brandishing his horns at his attackers.

The second wolf was lankier than the first and of a lighter shade of brown. They moved in tandem, trying to circle around the monster, who struck out at them defensively with his claws and tail. Tom turned to the open space between them, barrelling forward and leading with his left shoulder.  His attackers snarled, but backed off in the end and allowed him to pass, racing to pursue him from both sides. The monster’s long ears twitched, and he changed course, shoving the broad-shouldered wolf against a line of thorny bushes, slowing his progress. 

Tom lost them there, as the remaining wolf stopped to aid its packmate. The monster lumbered into the brush, squeezing between two wide-trunked trees and raising his nose to the sky, hoping to catch Tord’s scent again. 

He was beginning to lose hope when the breeze shifted, nearly choking Tom with the thick scent of blood, woodsmoke, and ink. Tord was much closer than he anticipated.   
  
Angling his body in the direction of the scent, Tom bounded through the trees. His claws churned the leaves as he ran, only for him to skid to a stop at the last second and leave long gouges in the earth. The monster shook his head, long ears flopping. The scent was strongest here, completely surrounding him and sticking to his throat like tar. He lowered his head towards the ground, listening.

He could hear birds; the soft rustle of the wind; the very beat of his own thunderous heart...and there, to his right. Footsteps, in a rhythm that could only belong to a quadrupedal creature. Tom swiveled his head around, this way and that, hoping that appearing confused might draw Tord closer. 

It worked - at the edge of his admittedly poor peripheral vision he could see the soft outline of a wolf break out from the blur of leaves. Though his color vision was skewed, he knew by scent alone that it was Tord approaching him and sizing him up. 

The wolf bared his teeth, fur along his spine raising. Tom tilted his head to the left, angling his horns so that if Tord made a move he could defend himself; fortunately for both, Tord stayed very still and instead watched Tom, as if hoping the monster would make a move first. The standoff continued for several long moments, before Tom relented; his tail swished from side to side and his ears relaxed. Tord’s fur smoothed out in response and he took a step forward, making a soft noise in his throat.   
  
Neither of them wanted to put themselves in a situation where the other could overpower them. Tom was well aware of this, but also knew that trying to get answers (or really anything) out of Tord was going to be a nightmare if he was a ten foot tall fire breathing monster. 

It was going to be a long afternoon. Tom flexed his claws and waited for the aching in his bones to return. 

* * *

“So he’s sick.” Edd picked at his nails, looking increasingly worried. Nothing Matt had said did anything to ease his frayed nerves and it only served to make the hollow feeling in his gut grow stronger. Matt frowned, running his hand through his hair.

“Tom didn’t tell me a whole lot but...yeah, that looks to be the case.” he gave Edd a long, uncomfortable stare. “Hey...we never really uh, talked about-”

Edd glanced up and met his gaze for a fraction of a second, before he peered even closer at his nails and tried to ignore how hot his face felt. 

“Wasn’t sure if there was anything to talk about.” he mumbled. Matt’s expression shifted, but pinpointing his emotion was all but impossible to Edd. If anything it only made his dampened heart sink further. 

“I mean…” Matt coughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s been long enough that I…”

Edd blinked, staring at his hands. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Matt fixed the brunet with an unreadable gaze and reached out. Edd very slowly offered his hand, wrist upturned and Matt’s slender thumb smoothed over the skin there. 

“I swear I’ll pay you back someday.”

Edd flushed dark red, refusing to meet Matt’s gaze as his wrist was lifted slightly. He dug his free hand into the blankets on the bed beneath him, balling them up in his fist. He looked down so far that his soft hair shadowed his eyes - and swallowed hard, nodding. 

“Just be gentle?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me entirely too long but hey random inspiration struck!

**Author's Note:**

> Did I need to start this fic when I've already got Red Omen? No. Did I do it anyway? ABSOLUTELY. Enjoy my trash. c:
> 
> This is not at all meant to be very good but boy is it fun to write :0


End file.
